Heater structure



J. M. AUFIERO HEATER STRUCTURE Aug. 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July15. 1949 all/l" a, 4

:HHHHH INVENTOR. .fa/m J 1 Ha (era BY HTTORNEYS 1951 J. M. AUFIERO2,563,449

INVENTOR.

Join f1 liuflaro A TTUR VEYJ Patented Aug. 7, i951 HEATER STRUCTURE JohnM. Aufiero, Plandome, N. Y., asslgnor to E. A. Laboratories, Inc.,Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 15, 1949,Serial No. 104,973

. 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a structurally and functionally improvedheater assembly and especially an apparatus which iscapable of beingreadily transported; such apparatus depending for its heat source andoperation upon electric current.

It is a primary object of the invention to furnish a heater structurewhich will be alternative to and in certain aspects presentsimprovements over the structures disclosed in my prior applications forUnited States Letters Patent filed on May 12, 1948, under Serial Numbers26,492 and 26,493, now Patents No. 2,504,785 and No. 2,506,408,respectively.

A further object resides in the provision of a structure in which heattransfer will occur not alone due to the flow of air past heatedsurfaces such as coils, but also due to radiant heat. Therefore, theuser will be subjected to the pleasant sensation of a warm air flow andwill additionally receive the benefit of heat rays as directed towardshim; the latter additionally creating the psychology of a warmingeffect.

Still another object is that of furnishing an apparatus type in whichthe wire will be properly housed and protected so that an extremely neatand commercially desirable assembly is furnished.

Still another object is that of providing a design which will embodyrelatively few parts each individually simple and rugged inconstruction, such parts being capable of ready manufacture andassemblage and when so assembled operating over long periods of timewith freedom from all difiiculties. With these and other objects inmind, reference is had to the attached sheet of drawings, illustratingone practical embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the apparatus with certain of the parts brokenaway to disclose underlying structures;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view taken along the lines 2-2 and in thedirection of the arrows as indicated in Fig. 1, and;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a portion of theassembly and taken along the lines 3--3 and in the direction of thearrows as indicated in Fig. 1.

In these views the numeral 5 indicates the base portion of the apparatuswhich may be provided with suitable supporting elements 6 and mounts bya pivot 1, a strap 8. The latter is conveniently of generally U-shapeand mounts adjacent the ends of its arms pivot members 9 which aresecured to a housing conveniently supporting a handle In adjacent itsupper end. The configuration of the several parts may be varied innumerous particulars. However, as shown, it is obvious that thesupporting strip or bracket 8, may be axially rotated as desired withrespect to base 5. Also, the housing may be tilted around a horizontalaxis as defined by the elements 9 and may be clamped against movement bythese elements. Additionally the entire apparatus may be transported bythe handle [0.

As has been shown especially in Figs. 1 and 2, the housing is preferablyof generally circular shape. It includes spaced walls II and I2.Brackets I4 may be coupled to extend from inner face of the latter walland may be secured against movement with respect to each other. Thesebrackets mount a motor IS; a cushioning strip [6 being convenientlyinterposed between the encircling portions of the brackets and the outerface of the motor casing. Grilles l3 may be disposed adjacent theforward and rear faces of the housing so that air may freely circulatetherethrough. A fan I! is mounted by the motor shaft to be driventhereby.

Supporting units [8 may extend outwardly from the motor casing and mountforwardly extending arms IS. The latter support a mounting 20 which atspaced points has secured to it refractory spools or elements 2|conveniently by means of screws or bolts 22. The latter provide supportfor a helical coil of resistance wire 23. As shown especially in Fig. 1,that coil may be disposed according to the configuration of a star,having any desirable number of arms.

As shown in detail in Fig. 3, a strip 24 is interposed between thespools 2| and the mounting 20. This strip should have an outlinecorresponding to the configuration of coil 23. As shown, it ispreferably fiat. Its forward face may be bright or polished so as tofurnish a reflecting surface. As is apparent, the coil 23 may liesubstantially midway between the edges of strip 24. It will be reflected1n the face of this strip. Therefore, if the latter is incandescent theresultant effect will be magnified or duplicated to an observer inadvance of the heater.

Current-supplying lead 25 extends from a point beyond the housingthrough an opening in the same and into the space between walls I l andi2. These leads project through an opening preferably in the inner wall[2 and are connected to the resistance 23 and the motor 15. Also, theyare connected to a switch 26. The actuator for the and elements such as9"are employed. 'The'reafter, switch 26 may be actuated. According toone such actuation and as described in my earlier application heretoforereferred, to motorl will operate at full speed to correspondingly drivethe fan and assure of passage *"and distribution of a maximum amount ofair through the housing. Under these circumstances the resistance willbe inoperative, or substantially so and the air flow will be used forventilation or cooling. According to another positioning oii he switchpart "themo tor and the resistance 23 will be in series with each other.7 V 1 Y r, "Under these circumstances the motor will LOD- erate atsubstantially :less speed and instead. of distributing cool air willcause'a'relativelygentle flow'of such airpast the'resistance which isnow highly heated. 'Under. such flow the air will be warmedabyiflowingover and through the convolutions of coil 23. andtheipartsadjacentthereto. In this connection, it-will beeobservedthatthe resistance is spaced from and otherwise related to thestrip 24 in a manner such that. a 'baflie eifect. is created and theair. flows over. the .edges of the 'strip'and' thence towards the coils;Therefore, a proper heat exchange will occur. Additionally, 'hOWQVEIZQIlt is apparent that the glowing or incandescence of the'resistance coil,will be somewhat enhanced becauseaof this baffling effect. Alpers'o'n ina position to beiwar-med by the heater or. in other wordshinfroritof-thesame will not alone :be aware of the incandescence :of thecoil, but :this "effect. wilLbe magnified incident -,to thereflection-of the; incendescent; imageof the latter in the facevofistripxfl.,jTherefore, aypsychological effect will, be produced whichis most'pleasing; this being inaddition to the rays which are radiatedtowards the ,observer 1 particularly because of the preferablyreflecting nature 'of strip As shown, the current-supplying leads areconnected to the resista-ncebyextending to dielectric,- blocks '21. The;latter are supported by certain-of the arms l9. Terminals 28 are; car,-ried by; the blocks and serve to connect the-leads with the-resistance'and motor. ;In this manner, an extremely compact and {safe assemblyzisfur-. nished.

- gfiIhus among others, theseveral objects'pfthe invention asspecifically aforenoted are achieved. Obviously, numerous changes inconstruction and rearrangement of the parts might be re sorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by theclaim.

I claim:

A heater including in combination a shroud forming a circularcasi'ng,,fa motor driven fan positioned within said shroud to'produce aflow of air therethrough; a bracket support within said shroudsupporting said fan; a narrow elongated, flat strip mounted on saidsupporting bracket perpendicular to the axis of said shroudand the axis:of rotation of said fan; a flat reflecting face on-the surface of saidstrip adjacent said -fan; insulating supports mounted on lar to thelongitudinal dimension of said strip,

-mounts' on said insulating supports, an incandesceable electricalresistance having a diameter at least one-half the :width of saidreflectingiace and spaced from said reflecting ia'ceHon- 'said mounts inadvance-of the refiectinglstrip between the latter. and the-fan; saidelectrical :resistance positioned in linewiththedimension .of saidinsulating strip between said strip and the fan, nar'- row fiat edges ofsaid reflectingrfaceperpendicularto the axis of. said-shroud and theaxis of rotation of saidfan extending insaidperpendibular plane*toprovide said :reflecting face with 'a width less' than twice thediameter of :said resist: ance whereby-air inits movementthr'oughttheshroud under the impulse .of the fan flows outward around the edges ofthe fiat'strip and contacts the resistance on flowing inward across thereflecting surface through the spacing of the resistance from theflatstrip from: which resistance-the heated air is projected by thefanblades outo'f the groundwhile the-incandescence of the electricalresistance is visibly refiected in the narrow longitudinaledges'of therefiectingface.

' JOHN AUFIERO.

REFERENCES CITED The following -references i-are of re'co-rd in-the fileof this patent:

UNITED. STATES. PATENTS

